Did they miss my armpit??

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Lou10
Lou10 Member Posts: 332
edited June 2014 in Radiation Therapy - Before, During, and After

This is probably a very stupid question but it's been on my mind and I don't see my RO for another month. Has anyone had radiation of their lymph nodes without it affecting their armpit skin?

I had four-field radiation, 28 treatments, for my breast and lymph nodes, ending about two weeks ago. Despite having bad burns in some areas, my armpit doesn't appear radiated at all. The radiation seems to have ended below my armpit as there is a clear line between where the skin is burned and not. I have/had cancer in my lymph nodes and did not have ALND surgery -- it was cancelled at the last moment as they felt that radiation would be sufficient after chemo. I'm now wondering if the lymph nodes in my armpit were missed. It seems impossible but there have been other problems with my diagnosis and treatment so I'm beginning to question everything. Being on this cancer train for almost a year is crazy making.

Thanks. 

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  • ProudMom_Wife
    ProudMom_Wife Member Posts: 634
    edited November 2011

    Hi Lou10,

    I too did not have ALND although I had two positive nodes.  Decided radiation would take care of it.  I also had my supraclavical radiated and asked the question of whether they were getting the axilla because I had so little 'burn' in my armpit.  My RO said they were, the angle they went with was from the collar bone down, with my arm positioned up over my head, so the beam went into through the supraclavical and out my back and angled down towards the axilla.  So the majority of the burn showed on my front and back, and just little in my armpit.  

    I would definitely ask though just for piece of mind.  I did.  In fact I asked a couple of times to make sure until he started off an appointment with "Yes your axilla is being radiated".   So then I stopped asking.

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  • Lou10
    Lou10 Member Posts: 332
    edited November 2011

    Thanks so much, ProudMom_Wife. Your response gives me some reassurance that will hopefully tide me over until I see my RO for followup in December. And it makes me feel a little less crazy for worrying about it! And the last part made me LOL!! 

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  • jacee
    jacee Member Posts: 1,384
    edited November 2011

    I didn't have any armpit burn either, but I don't sweat under that arm anymore and very little hair grows...which I've heard are se's of radiation. Never thought to ask, but almost sure my markings beforehand included that area.

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  • ProudMom_Wife
    ProudMom_Wife Member Posts: 634
    edited November 2011

    Oh, one other thing, I believe they did radiate that area because I do not have hair growing in that part of my armpit.  It did grow after the surgery, and now it doesn't.  I have patches of hair growth in my armpit.  

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  • Lou10
    Lou10 Member Posts: 332
    edited November 2011

    Thanks Jacee and ProudMom_Wife, for the additional information. Unfortunately, the other thing I thought was weird (besides no burn), and should have mentioned, is that it didn't affect my armpit hair at all. I had expected it to stop growing. Maybe I just have tough hair?!

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  • toomuch
    toomuch Member Posts: 901
    edited November 2011

    Lou - Why worry about this until Dec? Call your RO and ask him/her to review your plan with you and tell you what portion of your axilla received radiation. My RO broke it down into the level 1, level 2 and level 3 axillary node area and I also got radiation to my supraclavicular nodes. This is your worry and your life. You deserve whatever reassurrance you need to know that it was done right!

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  • Lou10
    Lou10 Member Posts: 332
    edited November 2011

    toomuch - Thanks, good idea ... needed a push I think. My RO probably broke it down at the beginning but I may not have absorbed it because of chemo brain. Also, it wasn't until near the end that I started thinking about the lack of signs of radiation to the armpit, and my RO was away then. 

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